


The Boy Next Door

by __insert creative pen name here__ (seannasheep)



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-04-05 11:04:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4177428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seannasheep/pseuds/__insert%20creative%20pen%20name%20here__
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Melkark were in completely different social standings at school. He was top of the food chain and even the dirt on the ground was higher up than her. Despite living next to each other their entire lives they had never spoken. But perhaps that's all about to change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The bath is run deep and hot with lots of bubbles, but its not for me. My twelve year old sister, Prim, stands beside me in the bathroom, slowly removing her clothes while I run the shower for myself. Some might find it strange that we are sixteen and twelve yet still shower/bath at the same time, but we find it comforting. Our father died when we were young and our mother threw herself into her work. While she's always been able to provide for us she's never been there for us. Its always just been the two of us for as long as we can remember. It gets awful lonely in the big house when we're the only ones home. That's why we always stay in the same room - even the bathroom. 

Once I'm satisfied that the shower is just the right temperature I strip off and climb in as Prim sinks into her bath. I squirt some orange scented shampoo into my hand and massage it into my head. With my hair still full of bubbles I grab my razor off of the bench and begin shaving my legs.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Prim asks quietly. "I want to do something."  
"And we can, Little Duck." I say. "Whatever you want to do."  
"Can we go to the pool?" She asks as she looks up at me with excitement in her eyes.  
Prim loves the pool. But I haven't taken her in years. That's where all the popular kids hang out, you see, and popular isn't really my scene. 

I finish shaving my legs and rinse the shampoo out of my hair, avoiding her question. I then pick up the bottle of orange conditioner up off the floor and massage a generous amount into my hair before I begin shaving my arms. 

"I don't know, Little Duck." I finally say. "Are you sure you want to go to the pool?"  
"Yes!" She squeals. "So can we?"

I avoid her question, instead I put my razor away and rinse the conditioner out of my hair. I reapply it and massage it in again before picking up my bottle of lavender body wash. 

"If that's what you want." I give in and it instantly becomes worth it with the way my sister's face lights up.  
"Oh my god! Thank you, Katniss!" She cries. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

I sigh and rinse myself off. We have enough money to have anything we want yet its the simple things that make her happy. And seeing her happy is what makes me happy. 

I shut off the shower and wrap myself in a towel before beginning my extensive face cleansing routine. I may be a loser at school but I don't want to look the part. 

Once finished I dry myself off and pull on my panties and bra. By the time I'm dressed for bed in my short shorts and tank top Prim is out of the bath. She dresses in a thin satin nightgown then we leave the bathroom. 

"Can we go out onto the roof?" She asks.   
"Sure." I say.

I grab our father's old hunting jacket and pull it on over my pyjamas and Prim wraps herself in one of those blankets with sleeves that she loves so much. It might be warm inside but its chilly outside at night. 

We sit up on our roof for hours. Talking about everything and nothing. I'm about ready to suggest going inside when Prim catches me off guard with a casual question she asks.   
"Do you know who I think you'd be cute with?" She's looking me square in the eyes, a serious look on her face.   
I shake my head. A smile graces her lips and she turns to face the house next door to us. The light is on in the bedroom across from mine. Prim turns back to me before saying the name of the guy who sleeps in that room.

"Peeta Mellark."


	2. Chapter 2

I shake my head furiously.  
"Nope. No way."

You see, Peeta Mellark and I are from completely different social standings at school. He's the most popular kid in school, everyone knows his name and would do anything he tells them to. Half the students would probably die of shock if he so much as looked at them. And then there's me. I'm the loner of the school, no one even knows I exist. I'm almost certain I'm actually invisible at school. He's like the king of the school. He'd never even give me the time of day. Because if he's the king I'm the dirt on the ground. Not even that. So Prims suggestion is absolutely outrageous. 

"You were all for hearing my opinion before." She defended. "What happened?"  
"I heard it."  
"But you two would be perfect together." She argued.  
"No we wouldn't be. We've never even spoken." I point out. "He probably doesn't even know I exist."  
"You've had windows across from each other your whole lives." Prim replied. "How could he not know you exist?"

She had a point there. But I doubt he even paid enough attention to realise who's window was across from his. It wasn't like it affected him at all. But there was no point in arguing with Prim, so I sighed and let the subject drop. 

"Its getting late." I said. "If you want to  
go to the pool tomorrow we should go to bed."  
Prim agreed and we climbed down off the roof and went to bed. Instead of going to her own bed, however, Prim climbed into mine. She often did this when we were the only ones home. I walked across to my window to draw the curtains so that the light from Peeta's bedroom wouldn't keep us awake. 

*****

"Ready to go?" I called upstairs to Prim.  
I was standing at the bottom of the stairs, wearing my flamingo bikini, hot pink board shorts and a white T-shirt thrown over the top so that my swimmers weren't on display until we got to the pool.  
"Coming!" Prim called back before she appeared at the top of the stairs, wearing an outfit matching my own.  
She laughed at the fact that we were dressed like twins as she made her way down the stairs. Neither of us even realised we owned matching swimmers. I grabbed my keys, phone and wallet off of the table and threw my towel into the bag that Prim had. We climbed into my car and I drove us to the pool. 

The moment we step foot inside the pool fence my suspicions about the place were confirmed. This was where all the popular kids hung out. Peeta, Gale, Cato, Clove, Glimmer and Johanna along with a few others were lounging around on the deck chairs. This was the popular group. Prim didn't seem to notice my discomfort from seeing them outside of school as she grabbed my hand and dragged me over towards the patch of grass not far away from the deck chairs. 

"Come swimming with me." She said, snapping me out of my thoughts.  
We stripped off our T-shirts, leaving us in our swimmers then folded them up and put them in Prim's bag. We then unfolded our towels and spread them out across the ground. I threw my phone, keys and wallet into her bag and zipped it back up after pulling out a small padlock. I locked the lock around the zipper of the bag and made sure that they key was still on the bracelet I wore around my left ankle. We were now ready to get in the pool. 

Prim excitedly grabbed my wrist and dragged me towards the water. I was so distracted by how happy she was that I almost didn't hear the comment Johanna made as I walked past. Almost. 

"Loser has to come with her sister."


	3. Chapter 3

"Its okay." Prim said. "What they say doesn't matter."  
I wish I could believe what my sister said. But the words of Johanna kept playing over in my mind. Did spending almost all of my free time with my sister make me a looser?

Prim and I climbed into the pool. She started splashing around and doing flips under the water. She could've been a mermaid she was that at home when in the water. My little sister was enjoying herself and having fun for the first time in months. I wish I could say the same about me, but I couldn't shake Johanna's comment from my mind. 

Instead of enjoying myself I stood in the water and watched them. Not long after I heard an excited squeal - one of those annoying, high pitched shrieks that teenage girls use to pretend their excited to see each other when really they just want to draw attention to themselves type squeals - and saw Madge run up to the group. She pulled Clove into a hug and kissed her cheeks before doing the same with Johanna. After a flirtatious wave to Gale and Cato Madge through herself onto Peeta's lap and locked her lips with his. 

I felt a pang of something in my heart. Jealousy perhaps? No that definitely wasn't it. Disgust was more like it. I could ses their tongues rubbing against each other from a fair distance away. Eww. That's grose. I could never understand why people did that. 

*****

"Katniss!" A voice called out about half an hour after we arrived at the pool.  
I turned to see my best - and only - friend, Annie, and her little brother, Andrew, walking towards where Prim and I were in the water.  
"Hi, Annie." I said once they had joined us in the water. "Hey Andrew. How's it going?"  
"Oh, good. Good." Annie said in a nervous tone - but she always sounded like that when it wasn't just the two of us. "Andrew's friends wanted him to come hang out today. Mama said I had to take him. So here we are. Now go hang out, Andrew, or we're leaving."  
Andrew swam off to join his friends as Annie's eyes nervously flitted around the area. She was never one for public places.  
"So what brings you here?" She asked after an almost awkward silence.  
"Prim's bedn bugging me to take her for ages now." I explained. "She finally got me to agree."  
Annie nodded in agreement but then she froze when her eyes locked on something behind me. 

I turned around to realise that she'd spotted the popular group. She hated them more than I did. It was common knowledge that they scared her - well, scared her more than other people did. 

"Oi! Finnick!" Cato's voice could be heard clearly over everyone else at the pool. "Hurry up and get your ass over here!"  
I watched as Annie's eyes widened. She had a hopeless crush on Finnick Odaire but he always looked straight past her. It made me sick the way him and the rest of the popular group thought they were better than everyone else. They really weren't. 

I knew that we couldn't stay here any longer. Annie wasn't going to be able to enjoy herself. Prim had swam off to join one of her friends that was also at the pool so it was just Annie and I.

"Do you want to go?" I asked her quietly.  
"But what about Andrew and Prim?" She argued even though we both knew that she wanted to get out of there ASAP.  
"We'll talk to their friends' parents. Organize to get them a lift home." I reasoned. "Then we can leave and go to my place. You can spend the night if you'd like."

Annie was quick to agree after that. We spoke to parents of our siblings' friends and organized lifts home for Prim and Andrew. After getting my stuff out of Prim's bag I gave her the key and Annie and I left. 

*****

It was after dark and Annie, Prim and I were sitting on my bed sipping coffee. Every light next door was on except for Peeta's. But that was probably a good thing as I could leave the curtains open without having to worry about Annie having a panic attack. All was well. 

But it seemed like I'd drawn that conclusion too quickly. Because right at that moment the door to Peeta's bedroom was flung open and the light was switched on. Him, Gale, Cato, Clove, Glimmer, Johanna and Finnick piled into the room. Annie stiffened up on the bed beside me. 

I got up to close my curtains and just as I was about to draw them closed my eyes met Peeta's through the windows. He was about to close his curtain as well. He winked and I wouldn't be able to tell you which one of us closed the curtain fastest after that. 

What the fuck was going on? He winked at me. Peeta Mellark winked at me. Why on Earth would he do that?


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning when I wake up for school I'm dead tired. Peeta's guests didn't leave until 2am and they weren't exactly quiet either. Actually they weren't quiet at all. They were really loud and kept Annie, Prim and I awake most of the night. Now we were surviving off little sleep and caffeine. I lent Annie some clean underwear and a uniform and we made our way to school. 

The moment I entered the hallway I heard Madge's voice call out from beside me.  
"Oi, loser!" She called. "Have fun with your sister yesterday? And Freak was there too, wasn't she? You have fun with Loser and her sister, Freak?"  
I could tell that Annie was getting upset.  
"Ignore them." I whispered as we kept walking.  
But ignoring them didn't help. If anything it made it worse as I was soon shoved against a locker.  
"I was talking to you, Loser." Madge hissed while pinning me to the locker. "Didn't your mother ever teach you its rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you?"  
This made the rest of the popular group laugh, except Finnick who looked bored and Peeta who looked fed up. They mightn't have bern encouraging Madge, but they weren't doing anything to stop it either. But then Peeta stepped forwards and put a hand on Madge's shoulder.  
"Come on, babe." He mumbled. "Why don't you just leave them alone."  
"Why should I?" Madge snapped as she whipped her head around to face him.  
"Are they really worth it?" He asked, something resembling pain in his eyes. But it couldn't have been.  
"I guess not." Madge said and pushed away from me. "For a second then I thought you were actually defending them." She giggled. "How ridiculous is that?"  
The popular group walked off and Peeta wrapped his arm around Madge's waist before turning his head and mouthing something that looked like 'I'm sorry' but was probably 'fuck off' or something equally cruel. 

*****

I had maths first then biology. I walked into the biology classroom and took my seat in the front row.  
"Ok, everyone." Miss Jones, the biology teacher, said. "Today we're starting our assignment." There were a series of disappointed sighs from around the room. "Its a group project." Everyone's spirits picked up slightly. "And I have already assigned partners."  
Students started yelling complaints. Not that I cared. I was going to end up doing all the work no matter who I was grouped with. Unless Annie was in my group, then we'd split the work.  
"Silence." Miss Jones called then started reading off the groups.  
"Annie Cresta, Benjamin Wright and Lilly Pine." Benjamin and Lilly weren't too bad. Got average grades but put effort into their work. Annie was in a good group so maybe I would be too.  
"Katniss Everdeen, Finnick Odair and Gale Hawthorne." Fucking hell. Looks like I'd be doing all the worj and getting insulted for it too.

"Now split up into your groups and start discussing the task." Miss Jones said after announcing the last group. "There won't be any class time given to work on it so you need to meet up outside of school."

"Good luck." Annie said sympathetically as Benjamin and Lilly made their way over to where we were and I stood up to go join Finnick and Gale.

"Meet at the pool after school." Finnick said then he and Gale refused to acknowledge my existence for the remainder of the lesson. 

I was left wondering whether it was going to be a trap or not. Should I go or shouldn't I?

The end of the day came way to quickly and I was left to make my decision. 

"Are you coming?" Annie asked as I hovered by my locker instead of following her towards the exit.

"No." I said. "I'm going to meet Finnick and Gale for our project."

Annie gave me a concerned look before finally saying goodbye and leaving. 

I turned and made my way towards the pool, hoping that I wasn't going to regret my decision to go.


	5. Chapter 5

I push open the doors to the gym. They creak as they swing open, making a chill run down my spine as I stepped into the empty gym. Something didn't feel right. But still I shook the feeling away and continued walking. I crossed the empty gym and stopped infont of the back door, leading to the room containing the pool. I didn't come here often but I knew what it was like. There was only a small gap between the edge of the pool and the wall. One wrong footing and you'd fall into the unforgiving, icy depths of the school's unheated pool. Sure, I loved swimming. But I easily felt the cold and didn't really want to get my clothes and books wet. 

I pushed the doors open and looked around. Gale was sitting in the grandstand against the opposite wall and I couldn't see Finnick anywhere. But then I noticed the figure underneath the water. A moment later Finnick's head popped up and then he ducked back down and continued swimming. 

Gale seemed to have noticed me sitting there and waved me over. I started to slowly walk around the edge of the pool.

As I passed the side door it flung open and a pair of hands reached out and shoved me sideways. I tumbled, landing in the icy pool water, book bag and all. I was soaked instantly. And chances were my books were no longer useable. 

When my head resurfaced I heard laughter and looked up. Glimmer, Madge and Peeta were standing there. The girls were giggling and Peeta wasn't even watching. 

"Oops." Glimmer chuckled. "I didn't see you there."  
She was obviously lying. And as I treaded water and shivered while attempting to glare up at them hot tears began to flow down my cheeks. 

I'd been set up. It was all just a trap. And now I'd have to spend several hundred dollars I didn't have on replacing my textbooks.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for disappearing for over a year. I am still alive. Chapters will be short while I try to work out a plot (because honestly I've forgotten what I was aiming for).

"What the hell was that?" I turned to see Finnick treading water behind me.  
Gale was walking around the edge of the pool towards us.   
"That was our plan." Glimmer said.   
"What plan?" Gale stopped beside her.   
"The plan." Glimmer said as if it were obvious. "You know, you guys get her to come here than we push her in."   
"That wasn't the plan." Gimmick said. "The plan was that we'd work on the project and you'd stay the hell away."  
"But that boring." Madge whined.   
"Who the hell came up with your plan?" Gale demanded.   
"I did." Madge said innocently.   
"Peeta, man, keep your girlfriend under control." Gimmick said. 

Madge huffed. She grabbed Peeta by the hand and stormed out, dragging him along with her. Glimmer followed behind. 

Why had Finnick and Gale defended me? It didn't make any sense. 

"I think you should go home." Finnick said. "There's no point working on the project now."  
I nodded but didn't say anything.   
"We can work on it another day." Gale added. "Perhaps away from school."   
Once again, I only nodded. 

Gale held his hand out over the pool.   
"Come on." He said. "Outcha hop. You'll catch your death in there."   
"No she won't." Finnick huffed as I swam back to the wall. "The waters lovely."  
"Only if you're mad." Gale laughed.

I took Gale's hand and he pulled me out of the pool.  
"I'll drive you home." He said. "Save you walking in wet clothes."  
"How do you know I walk?" I asked.   
"Seen you." Was his response.   
"I'll walk." I said. "It's not far."  
"You're clothes will weigh a tonne." Gale said. "I'm driving you."  
"But I'll get your car wet." I argued.   
"I have a spare towel." Finnick said as he climbed out of the pool.  
"What about my sister?" I asked. "I told her to wait to walk home together."  
"I'll drive her too." Gale said. "It looks like you're out of arguments."

*****

"Why are we going with them?" Prim asked as we followed Gale and Finnick to the car park.   
"Because they insisted on driving us." I pulled the towel tighter around myself.   
"It doesn't make much sense, does it?" She said. "Why would they help you?"  
"I have no idea. Perhaps they aren't like the rest of them."


	7. Chapter 7

"What happened to all your books?" Mum demanded when she saw my water damaged books spread across the kitchen table.   
"I fell into the pool." I lied.   
"You fell into the pool?" She shook her head in disappointment. "God, Katniss, you're so irresponsible."

She picked up a textbook and flipped it open.   
"They're all entirely ruined." She said. "We'll have to replace the lot."  
"I know, Mum." I said. "I'm sorry."  
"Don't think you're getting out of it that easily." She yelled. "I'll pay for them now, but you're going to get a job to pay me back. Maybe that'll teach you some responsibility."

She stormed out of the room. A moment later we hear her office door slam closed. 

"Why'd you do it?" Prim asked.   
"Do what?"  
"Take the blame. You could've told her the truth."  
"Because if she found out I was pushed she'd storm down to the school and demand something be done about it."  
"Wouldn't that be a good thing?"  
"No." I said. "It'd make the way they treat me so much worse."

Prom nodded but didn't look convinced. Thankfully, she didn't say anything else on the matter. 

Later that night, when I went to close my blinds before bed, I noticed something odd on Peeta's window. His blinds were closed but taped to the glass was a piece of paper. The words on the paper, printed in a neat, practical handwriting, were only visible because of the light coming from my room. 

'I'm sorry about this afternoon.'

Yeah, right. And pigs can fly.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment your thoughts. It'll be greatly appreciated.


End file.
